The Moon will pass in front of the Sun, creating a solar eclipse. From some
parts of the world, the alignment will be so exact that the Moon will
completely cover the Sun and the eclipse will be total.

The path of the total eclipse will pass through Australia, New Zealand and Pitcairn.

A partial eclipse will be seen from numerous other countries, including:

Country

Extent of eclipse

French Polynesia

Sun 90% covered

Christmas Island

Sun 87% covered

Cocos Islands

Sun 82% covered

Indonesia

Sun 74% covered

Chile

Sun 59% covered

Norfolk Island

Sun 58% covered

From United States, no eclipse will be visible. To see information about the times when the eclipse will be visible elsewhere in the world, select a different location.

Eclipse alignment

Solar eclipses occur when the Sun, Moon and Earth are aligned in an almost
exact straight line, with the Moon in the middle, such that the Moon passes in
front of the Sun.

The Moon passes close to the Sun in the sky every month, at new moon, but
because the Moon's orbit is tipped up by 5° relative to the Earth's orbit
around the Sun, the alignment usually isn't exact. As a result, the Moon
usually passes a few degrees to the side of the Sun.

Even when eclipses do occur, they are not visible from the whole world at once.
The Moon casts a circular shadow onto the Earth, but because the Moon is much
smaller than the Earth, the shadow doesn't cover the whole planet. Over time,
the shadow sweeps across the Earth, so that different places see the eclipse at
different times.

The eclipse path

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The Moon's shadow projected onto the Earth as the eclipse proceeds. The hemisphere of the Earth facing the Sun is shown. Contours show where the Sun's disk is 0% (red), 20%, 40%, 60% and 80% covered.

The simulation to the right shows the path of the Moon's shadow across the
Earth.

The red line shows the edge of the Moon's shadow: all places inside the red
circle will see the Moon covering some part of the Sun's disk. The white
contours within this show where the Moon appears to cover 20%, 40%, 60% and 80%
of the Sun.

The white spot in the centre of the Moon's shadow traces out the thin eclipse
track where a total eclipse will be seen.

As seen from any given location, this total eclipse will
last for a maximum of 2 minutes.

Below, the path of the Moon's shadow is reprojected onto a flat map of the
world. As before, the red contour shows the edge of the Moon's shadow, and
encloses everywhere where the eclipse can be seen. The white contours show
where the Sun is 20%, 40%, 60% and 80% covered.

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The map below shows a still image mapping the maximum extent of the eclipse
across the world. The red contour encloses all places in which any part of the
eclipse is visible.

Eclipse safety

Solar eclipses take place when the Earth moves through the Moon's shadow. The dark gray cone behind the Moon indicates the region of space in which the Moon appears to completely cover the Sun's disk (the Moon's umbra). The light gray area around it shows where the Moon appears to partially cover the Sun's disk (the Moon's penumbra).

Observing the Sun can be very dangerous if it is not done with the right
equipment. The Sun is the brightest object in the sky, and looking directly at
it can cause permanent eye damage within seconds. Viewing it through any
optical instrument – even a pair of binoculars or the finderscope on the
side of your telescope – can cause instant and permanent blindness.

If you have any doubts about whether your equipment is safe, it is best not to
risk using it. By far the safest thing to do is to go along to a public
observing event. Many astronomical societies are likely to be hosting observing
events on the day, and they'll be sure to welcome newcomers. You may meet some
new people at the same time as seeing the transit.

Many astronomy suppliers sell special special filters which are made for safe
solar viewing. These include aluminised mylar filters, or black polymer
filters, identified as suitable for direct viewing of the Sun. Check that the
filter has a CE mark, and a statement that it conforms to European Community
Directive 89/686/EEC. Alternatively, you can use a welder's glass rated at No.
14 or higher. Always read the manufacturer's instructions carefully.

Never attempt to make your own filter. In addition to visible light, the Sun
also produces prodigious amounts of infrared and ultraviolet radiation which
cannot be seen yet can still damage your eye. Even if a homebrew filter appears
adequate, it may allow this unseen radiation to pass.

Projecting an image of the Sun

Two example of low-cost cardboard solar projection boxes. These two are sold in the UK by Green Witch.

Another safe way to view solar eclipses is to buy a purpose-built solar
projection box.

These typically consist of a cardboard box with a small lens on one side. They
project an enlarged image of the Sun onto a white cardboard sheet inside the
box. Once the transit is over, they're also great for observing sunspots. They
are safe to use, quick to set up, and ideal for use with children and groups.

Warning

Never attempt to point a pair of binoculars or a telescope at an object close to the Sun. Doing so
may result in immediate and permanent blindness.

Source

The simulations above were derived from the DE405 ephemeris published by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). The position of the Moon's shadow is superimposed on maps of the world taken from the NASA Visible Earth project.

The list of countries from which the eclipse is visible was computed on the basis of shape files available from DIVA-GIS.

You may embed the animations and images above in your own website. They are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license, which allows you to copy and/or modify them, so long as you credit In-The-Sky.org.